Randolph Pentel of Minnesota complains about the poor service at drive-in
restaurants (WO 99/54808). To order the food you have to open the car window and
yell into a microphone. Often, the order is misheard and the wrong meal
delivered. The answer, says Pentel, is to provide a handheld computer displaying
the menu, with identifying numbers that the driver keys in. When it is confirmed
on screen, the driver tells the computer to send it to the kitchen over a
wireless link, knowing the correct dishes will arrive.
Technology
Handheld heaven
By Barry Fox
26 February 2000
